Left Behind
by tucker7513
Summary: (Rewrte; Foster Care AU) Amy has lived in nine different foster and group homes since she was five. She leaves each "home" a bit more realistic and hardened by the same experiences of abuse, neglect, and rejection. She endures on the hope that she'll find a family of her own someday. Her life takes a turn when she arrives at Pembroke's and meets four other kids just like her.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Hello. I originally posted this story in November 2015. After writing the first three chapters, I got kind of stuck. (Like, writer's block for a year stuck.) I realized that I wasn't satisfied with how I originally wrote the story. I believed it was becoming less focused on the b99 characters in a foster care setting and more of a middle/high school AU sort of thing. It took me awhile to realize how unhappy I was with the original three chapters and to decide what I wanted. So I decided to start over and rewrite it all over again._

 _I believe now since almost a year has passed, I have a (slightly) better understanding of the characters themselves and the foster care system after some extensive research._

 _So to those who read the original version of the story, wrote reviews, and liked it, thank you. And I apologize for suddenly just deleting it out of the blue like that. To any new readers, hello!_

 _I umm...I hope you like this version now?_

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 **March 24, 2013; Sunday**

 **Pembroke residence; 9:00 a.m.**

In the nights that weren't plagued with nightmares of crackling thunder and crimson rain, Amy had this dream. It was a pleasant dream that would visit her every few months or so. This was the dream she was having right now.

She's standing barefoot on a hill, the grass tickling between her toes. She could feel the warmth of the rising sun against her skin as it rose on the eastern horizon. The next thing she knew, she is being lifted into the air by two strong hands. She squeals with joy as she's lifted up, knowing that no harm would come to her. From the air she could see the hills, the snowy mountaintops, the trees, and even a woman and a group of boys playing tag together on the hill. Finally she looks down and sees a man that's lifting her into the air.

But the man's eyes were blurred. In fact, all of the people standing below her had no eyes at all. It's as if someone took an eraser and swiped it against their faces. This image should scare her, but it doesn't.

She feels at peace. She feels safe.

She feels happy.

 _"Wake up. We're here."_

Until reality hits.

Before Amy knows it, the dream fizzles away like smoke and remnants are all that is left. In the real world, she knows that she is in a car that's currently outside her new placement. She didn't need to open her eyes to know that Wuntch, her social worker, was already staring at her rather impatiently.

"Chop chop, kid. I got better things to do today." said Wuntch.

Not one for wasting time, Amy rubbed her eyes to chase away the drowsiness. She then heaved out a heavy sigh before reaching for the trash bag sitting next to her and stepping outside. The first thing that came to mind with her new "home" was the size. It was a rather ornate house compared to her previous foster homes. The brick structure stood tall, almost proudly, with its three floors on top of it. It seemed like the picturesque suburban house with the perfect foster family inside, right?

Amy was never excited to move into another foster home. A new foster home meant a new school, new foster parents to get accustomed to, and new kids who might tease her for her glasses or call her names. She used to believe her situation was temporary.

She was so naive.

The fantasies of being embraced into a warm, loving family had only waned and become more unrealistic as she aged. She's twelve years old and ten foster homes later, this one included, she hasn't found a place to call home yet. Of course, she had already charted a backup plan in the likelihood that she ages out of the system when she's eighteen. She planned to receive her G.E.D. first. After that, she knows that she wants to attend community college in New York. However she hasn't decided what she would want to major in.

Still, she doesn't know how much longer she can keep up with this charade. The future, her future, remained uncertain.

Amy was startled from her thoughts by the sound of Wuntch banging her fist against the front door. Wuntch then extended a hand towards Amy's wrist and gripped onto it tightly as if Amy was going to run. The prickling sensation of stinging ice water slapping against her skin briefly crossed her mind.

There were voices clamoring and shouting over each other on the other side of the door. Amy gripped tighter onto her trash bag.

 _"It's the hard knocked life for us. It's the hard knocked life for us."_

 _"If you sing that song one more time-"_

 _"Gross! Keep that disgusting thing upstairs!"_

 _"Well how else am I supposed to feed him?"_

 _"For God's sake, everyone shut up!"_

The voices paused. Thirty seconds passed before Wuntch decided to try again.

"Pembroke, open up!" Wuntch bellowed. She knocked three more times.

The door swung open with force.

"Damn it, you don't have to be so loud."

A man in a worn out grey suit emerged from the doorway with his tie undone. His blonde hair stood frizzled and was slightly disheveled like he literally just woke up from bed. (Amy suspected so.) The man wore a scowl on his face until he saw Wuntch. He straightened his posture and brushed off his suit before he leaned against the doorway.

"God Pembroke, what is that repugnant smell?" Wuntch pinched her nose in good measure.

"It's my natural body odor, Wuntch. Don't hate." He gestured to come inside. Wuntch pulled at Amy's wrist like a leash and brought her inside the house.

From the moment that Amy stepped inside, an unsettling sensation set inside her stomach. The house was an utter mess. The floor was littered with beer bottles, confetti, leftover food, and red solo cups. Streamers were hanging off the ceiling, sofa, and the walls. Also she was pretty sure she saw a rat scamper by across the rug.

She shuddered. How does an irresponsible person like Pembroke get away with something like this? This was just…no. She didn't want to know.

It took a few seconds for Amy to compose herself before she finally noticed the four kids standing uniformly in a line. The person Amy noticed right away was a girl at the far right of the line. She had dark, curly raven hair that reached down to her shoulders and she was wearing a black leather jacket that was at least a size too big. The raven haired girl's eyes met Amy's gaze. The girl frowned (not that she was smiling before) before she scrunched her nose in distaste.

There was also another girl standing next to her. This girl, however, had dark brown hair instead. She seemed to be paying no attention to Amy whatsoever. The girl was too busy filing her nails. On the girl's left a teenager with stock black hair was waving in Amy's direction. Amy gave a meek wave in return. He had a gray shirt that was adorned with a bold logo from a pizzeria called "Sal's Pizza".

Then there was the boy standing in front of her. He had short, curly, dark brown hair that outmatched the first girl. He wore a checkered pattern black and white shirt with a blue hoodie. The most interesting thing though was the small pin with the Delta Airlines logo on the front of the boy's hoodie. It looked a little worn out but she could tell that it had been cleaned.

He was staring at her. Whether it was in a good way or in a bad way she couldn't decipher. To her the kids seemed nice enough like the boy that waved at her. A part of her feels like maybe they could even be friendly.

"Your house is trashed as always." Wuntch casually commented.

"Yeah, when you turn the big 4-5 you gotta go big, ya know?" he flashed a smile. "And can I just say that you're looking as foxy as always?"

"Can it, Pembroke. I got another-" Wuntch tugged Amy closer to Pembroke. "brat to sign over to you."

It was then that Pembroke saw Amy for the first time. Pembroke leaned in towards Amy's face; his grin had twisted into a milk curling smile. Devil horns might as well be popping out of in front of his head.

"And who is this...charming young lady over here?" Pembroke licked his lips. He was staring at her like she was a piece of meat to be devoured. Amy felt some bile forming in her throat. She debated whether or not to spit in Pembroke's face but she decided against it.

"Amy, last name unknown. Female, birthdate unknown. Age twelve, was found homeless in at a playground at age five." Wuntch droned out. "Sign here."

Pembroke grazed through the paperwork and scoffed. "And I'm stuck as lucky foster parent ten, huh?" He motioned for a pen.

"I had to keep placing her at different homes. No one wanted a little prissy, stuck up brat like her." Wuntch explained.

It was then that she felt a piece of her fragile heart crack inside. Even though she was used to jabs and comments like this already, it still hurt. What she failed to notice was the curly hair boy's fists tightening at the backhanded comment.

"Done." Pembroke handed the forms back. "I'm expecting a bigger check than usual, Wuntch, especially knowing what this kid is doped up on."

"You'll get your pay at the end of the week. Just make sure she's still breathing when I get back."

"Don't worry, I'll take good care of Cassie over here." Pembroke winked at Amy's direction. Amy would have gagged but she maintained herself.

"It's Amy." she corrected but her response went ignored.

Wuntch shook Pembroke's hand before she took off without so much as a goodbye to Amy. Pembroke shut the door and clicked three locks in place before sticking the key in his pocket.

"Alright, glad that's over with. I'm going back to bed. Get back to work, wieners. That includes you, new girl." He roughly shoved Amy in the kids' direction.

"And this house better be spotless by the time I'm up!" Pembroke warned. He trudged his sluggish body slowly up the stairs.

As soon as the kids heard the door slammed shut, the raven haired girl began to march towards Amy. Her heart started beating a little faster in apprehension. Maybe she wanted to introduce herself? Or maybe she wanted to punch her in the face? Mustering her best smile, Amy reached out a hand to the raven haired girl.

"Hi, I'm-" The girl shoved a trash bag into Amy's chest instead.

"Rosa. Start with the cups by the door, squirt." Rosa then stomped into a corner of the living room.

"Nice to meet you too." Amy called out. Her greeting went unnoticed by Rosa, who was basically dumping garbage after garbage inside a trash bag. Amy then turned to the other girl who was still filing her nails.

"I'm Amy. It's a pleasure to meet you." Amy tried again. She held out her hand for the other girl to accept. The girl stopped filing her nails to stare at Amy's out held hand. The girl's eyebrow arched slightly. Then she did something that Amy didn't expect to happen.

She laid out Amy's outstretched hand flat and began to file it wordlessly. To say that she was shocked would be an understatement. It was an...unexpected greeting. When the girl began to work on Amy's other hand, Amy turned to the boys for an explanation. The curly hair boy smiled reassuringly with a toothy grin and gave her a thumbs up. His friend just shrugged, not surprised at the very least. All Amy could do was stare slightly agape as the girl filed her nails one by one with precise action. She felt compelled to say something to her, a thank you at least, but she was afraid of ruining the moment.

When the girl was done, she blew off the dust gathered on Amy's hands and released them. It was then that the girl finally looked into Amy's eyes and spoke.

"Your nails need some color, but we can chat about that later." she said. "I'm Gina b.t.w., and yes, it is a pleasure for you to be graced by my presence." She then walked to the couch and lounged herself there like a cat.

Not long after Amy felt two large, sweaty hands shaking her hands as well.

"I'm Charles. It is so nice to put a face to the newcomer!" His hands were furiously shaking hers. They were practically trembling with excitement.

"I'm always happy to meet new foster kids, especially awesome girls as yourself." Charles continued. "We should celebrate with dinner. I mean, all of us. Not that I'm asking you to…because that would be weird, wouldn't it? I mean you're…and I'm…Oh God, I just made it awkward. I'm so sorry. Uh, let me try again. Do you like spaghetti?"

"I've never had it."

"What?! Never?" Charles exclaimed, a complete turn around from his bumbling self a few seconds ago. He took a step back from Amy like he was personally attacked by her confession. Amy felt that she did something wrong to accidentally hurt Charles, which was never her intention. Her mind already scrambled for ideas to make it up to him. A card? Money? A scrapbook displaying his latest achievements? She didn't realize how heavy her breathing got until Charles placed his hand on her upper arm in sympathy.

"It's settled then." he smiled warmly. "We'll all have spaghetti for dinner because I just found this new recipe for spaghetti with sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, and spinach that is just to die for. You're going to love it. Of course, I could never make spaghetti as well as Lynn. He's my boss at the restaurant that I work in, I should have mentioned that first. Maybe I should bring you to the restaurant at some point…"

Amy giggled and felt her nerves slightly settle down. She liked Charles. She never thought she would meet a foster kid who was so extroverted.

"Oh and this," Charles wrapped his arm around the shoulders of the curly haired boy. "is my best friend in the planet, the man of the hour, Jake!"

Oh, so that was his name.

"It's nice to meet you, Jake." she greeted and offered her hand. Jake remained silent. Just like Gina he stared at Amy's outstretched hand but in wonderment instead, like it was the first time he was introduced to a handshake. She expected him to make a sound, a noise, anything really. He just remained still as a statue and yet there was a soft expression, a slight twinkle in his eye.

"Jake-y?" Charles asked. "You alright there, buddy?"

Amy spoke up. "You do know what a handshake is, right?"

Her voice seemed to awaken Jake from his spell. He cleared his throat, as if he was preparing to speak. No words came out. He settled with pursing his lips together before silently extending a hand and shaking Amy's. He didn't realize it but he was still holding her hand for ten seconds.

"You can let go now."

Jake jumped slightly and flinched from Amy's hand as if it was poison. "Gah I-ah-uh….words, speaking, language, stuff…."

Amy snorted. He was funny, she'll give him that.

"Sorry. He's usually not like this." Charles tilted his curiously, his eyes darting between his best friend and her.

 ** _Crash!_**

"Agh, the rat's back!" Gina screeched. She tossed the nail file at the scurrying creature.

Rosa grabbed the broom. "I got this." The commotion snapped Jake back to reality.

"No, guys, come on! Don't kill Algernon! We're buddies!" Jake interjected. He raced to the couch to defend his furry pet.

Yes, she definitely believed she'll fit in here.

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 _A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated!_


	2. Chapter 2

**March 24, 2013; Sunday**

 **Pembroke residence; 2:00 p.m.**

Besides her first meeting with the other foster kids, Amy's day had been physically taxing. She had gotten straight to work cleaning up after Pembroke's birthday party. Despite it being her nature to be as tidy as possible, she was rather unhappy cleaning up after this particular mess. It seemed that every time a space finally cleared up, she noticed six more things littered across the floor. All she did was sweep and collect garbage while Pembroke had fallen into a hungover slumber.

(It was foster parents like Pembroke that made her question the validity of the foster care system.)

Amy learned, however, that Jake was not one for droning housework. He would start collecting garbage like the rest of the group. Then he would just…stop after a couple of minutes. He would just stare at some litter, like a piece of streamer, and rub his fingers against the material. Amy could imagine the mental gears turning in Jake's head, but she was clueless as to what he was thinking. He would then drop everything he held and wander off to the kitchen or upstairs before he returned to the same spot. Soon it became apparent how desperate Jake was to pass the time and avoid work.

"Rosa, I bet you five bucks that I can hold a handstand longer than you." Jake said half an hour into cleaning up Pembroke's living room.

"Done." Rosa replied. It turned out that Rosa was a rather athletic person as she was resilient. The contest only lasted a minute before Jake conceded defeat with his legs flopping to the ground with a hard thud. It was the easiest five bucks Rosa ever made. The distractions continued for a little while.

"Rosa, let's have a rematch."

"Charles, teach me how to cook something."

"Gina, check this out!" Jake pointed at curly hair which had been tangled with rainbow streamers.

"Congrats, Jake. You look like a hot mess."

"A good-looking, hot mess though. Am I right?"

"Don't you have some cleaning to do?"

This pattern of Jake's repeated over and over again, but neither Charles, Rosa, or Gina seemed to mind his actions. Finally it took some coaxing from Gina and Sour Patch Kids as bait to get Jake back on track. It took five hours to clean everything from the living room, to the dining room, the kitchen, and upstairs banister. Once the work was finally completed, everyone looked down to the living room from the banister. Though her muscles ached, Amy couldn't help but feel a sense of pride at what she was able to accomplish.

This moment of euphoria only temporarily lasted until Amy let out a hoarse yawn.

"Same, girl." said Gina.

"You did nothing this morning." Rosa pointed out.

"Yes, but I was working with you all in spirit." Gina replied. Rosa only rolled her eyes.

"Let's just go back to our room."

Amy followed everyone silently with her belongings in tow, exhaustion settling into her bones. She was ready to collapse into a bed and fall into a dreamless nap. The bizarre thing was that none of the other kids entered the doors on the second floor. Everyone just stopped and created a mini circle in the end of the hallway. The other kids were then staring at Rosa expectantly. Rosa went to grasp a metal-like string hanging almost out of reach from the ceiling that Amy didn't notice before. That was when she froze.

 _Oh please no._ Amy begged silently. _Please don't be an -_

Rosa yanked on the metal string. An outer compartment opened in the ceiling and a ladder descended to the ground.

She had to sleep in an attic, a _flipping_ attic of all places.

Her mind began running amok with worst case scenarios: dust everywhere, cramped spacing, more rats and cockroaches than she can count, and God knows what else. The messy train of thoughts was keeping her cemented to the floor. It wasn't until she heard a loud, "AMY!", that she realized she was the only person to have not gone up the ladder. With shaky fingers she grasped the first rung. She climbed.

Her head peeped through the opening with slight hesitation. To her surprise, the attic was actually more spacious and brighter than she expected. It was surprisingly decorated as well. Amy climbed up further until she reached the top, admiring what the attic had to offer.

The afternoon sunlight penetrated the attic from four windows and brightened the room significantly. A drawer sat under the window that faced the houses across from them. Christmas tree lights were tacked across the walls, serving as a source of light for the evenings. A few posters were taped onto the walls as well. One poster that caught her attention featured a man in a white tank top with his gun pointed up and the words "Die Hard" in bold letters.

One half of the room was currently occupied by Charles, Gina, and Rosa. Charles was reading through a print out of the spaghetti recipe he was planning to make with great interest. Gina was reading through a Vogue magazine. Rosa was toying on the dagger charm around her necklace. There were also some worn out seat cushions, books, and Marvel and DC comics spread across the floor.

But it wasn't all perfect. The other half of the room was occupied by a large baby blue blanket laid on top of a large comforter. Four pillows were scattered on the top. The jerk didn't even afford to get them actual beds!

Amy felt a tap against her shoulder and she turned. It was Jake. He was holding up a lightly worn out pillow.

"You alright there? I got you a pillow. Don't smell it though." said Jake. Amy folded her arms, displeased with the situation.

"He didn't get you guys any beds? Th-that's so unfair! Preposterous even." Amy complained, also slightly surprised at catching herself saying "preposterous".

Jake chuckled nervously. "Yeah, I probably should have mentioned that before. It's paraloptuloo — it sucks. Sorry about that."

He handed the pillow to Amy.

"Anyways, you look beat. You can take a nap before dinner starts. You can sleep over there." He pointed at the comforter. "I'll be over there, eating some Sour Patch. Holler if you need anything."

Amy walked to the comforter, placed her glasses on the ground, and laid herself down; her solitary thought was getting some rest. She pulled the blanket towards herself, wiggling herself into the comforts of the plush bedsheets. Before Amy knew it, she was lulled to sleep by mumurs and the softness of the bedsheets.

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 **Pembroke residence; 6:00 p.m.**

"Amy? Amy? Amy?" Amy felt something tugging incessantly against her shirt sleeve. Her bleary eyes reluctantly opened to Jake's face just inches away from hers, his brown eyes staring at her expectantly.

"What time is it?" she groaned.

"Dinner time, duh!" Jake was practically reeking with exuberance. "Let's go get our grub on!"

Jake yanked Amy to her feet, practically dragging her downstairs and barely giving her any time to put on her glasses. The warmth from Jake's hand sparked Amy's synapses to life. It was a foreign concept to her; she couldn't recall the last time she felt a touch without receiving a slap behind the head or a kick to the stomach.

It was nice.

The pleasant aroma of tomato sauce and onions assaulted Amy's senses when she reached the dining room. Charles had cooked a spaghetti dinner for everyone as he promised. Everyone except for Pembroke had already gathered at the table.

"About time." Rosa grumbled. Amy glanced apologetically at Rosa before she took a seat across from her. Jake dug into his meal the moment he sat down, scarfing down the spaghetti eagerly. Bits of sauce had already splattered onto his previously stained clothes.

"You're the best, buddy!" Jake praised to Charles, his mouth garbling full of pasta.

A plate of spaghetti was already set in front of Amy. From the corner of her eye she could feel Charles cautiously observing her, wanting to witness her reaction to his food. She took her fork and twirled some of the pasta into her utensil before gingerly taking her first bite. A few seconds passed. Then the corners of her eyes crinkled; her lips morphed into a smile of pure bliss. Never had she experienced such a combination of sweet and savory flavors all at once. Charles heaved a sigh of relief.

"Charles, this is so good! Where did you learn to cook like this?"

Across the table Gina and Rosa groaned simultaneously.

"What?"

Charles beamed and commenced to recall his tale of humble beginnings as a novice chef that began with his own mother and father. Amy listened with rapt attention while everyone else ate and ignored Charles' story which they have heard for the hundredth time this month. The dinner table had then settled into a calm atmosphere; the only sounds admitted was the low volume of the forgotten television and metal forks scraping against the bottom of the plates.

"Thank God the Vulture is still hungover in his room." Gina said halfway through her meal. "I swear, just looking at his face gives me indigestion."

"You call Pembroke a vulture?" Amy asked.

"We call him that because he likes to swoop in and take foster kids that are on medication." Charles explained as he sprinkled a concerning amount of parmesan cheese onto his pasta.

"Kids doped up on meds means more cash for him." Rosa stabbed clean through a tomato with her fork. "That's what all these foster parents are in for."

"What did the quacks dope you up on?" Gina blurted out. Amy nearly choked on her food, thrown off by the bluntness of the question. She clutched her chest as she began to cough as someone, Charles, commenced to pat her back.

"Gina! You can't just ask her stuff like that." Jake chastised. Gina only shrugged in response.

Needless to say, Amy lost her appetite for dinner after that. She returned upstairs with a full stomach but with a heavy heart.

* * *

 **Pembroke residence; 11:00 p.m.**

While everyone had already fallen asleep a few hours ago, Amy was still lying awake. Everyone was lying together on the one comforter and sharing the one large blanket. Amy was sandwiched between Charles and Jake, who were both snoring in sync. Her mind couldn't help but drift off to that dinner conversation. She didn't expect a personal question so quickly. She could have told them that, yes, she did take medication easily. The problem was that it would spiral to difficult subjects for Amy to discuss — the nightmares that pursued her since she was five, fears of an endless, dark abyss consuming her whole, the feelings of hopelessness…

How would they have reacted if she told them this instead? If she told them, maybe they could have sympathized with her worries.

Like a friend would do.

For the short amount of time that Amy has spent with them, she knows that the group shares a close connection. Not once had she seen Gina, Jake, Charles, or even Rosa break into a violent altercation or shouting match with each other. It was first compared to her other placements where kids fought each other constantly. Everyone in the household has formed such a close knit unit with each other. Amy craves for that closeness, that connection, that feeling of being loved and cared for by someone. That one dinner conversation could have brought her closer to everyone, right? And maybe, just maybe, she could have had a friend.

And yet, she couldn't. No. What was she thinking? If past experiences have taught her anything, it's that relationships in foster care don't last. As soon as she gets close to someone, she's taken away to a new placement far away. Amy doesn't know if she'll leave next week or a year from now. There was no point. It was illogical. Besides, she couldn't intrude on a close friendship like that by dumping her problems on them. It was settled then. She'll remain cordial and keep her distance from everyone, including Jake.

It was for the best.

Amy closed her eyes once more, attempting to fall asleep a final time. Tomorrow she would begin to go to school at Tubman Middle-High. She refused to miss out on the one consistent thing in her life.

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 _A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated!_


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Sorry for the two month delay! I got lazy near the end of the chapter if you can/can't tell. Here's the next chapter! Reviews are greatly appreciated!_

 _ **Trigger warning** : panic attack_

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 **March 25, 2013; Monday**

 **The attic; 8:00 a.m.**

 _"_ ** _Good morning, dunderheads. Get your lazy asses downstairs in fifteen minutes or I'm leaving without you._** _"_

Amy nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the booming voice. The entire room was almost shrouded into darkness. The only source of light was a thin slither of sunlight peeking through the curtains. Through bleary eyes, she saw the Vulture's face towering over her upside down. He was smiling smugly with a megaphone in his hand. His pupils gazed at her just like yesterday, with a predatory glint in his eye that made her feel slimy all over. He trotted back towards the exit wordlessly as the other kids rose from their slumber. They stretched their short limbs, emitting tired yawns and groans of annoyance.

"I hate it when he does that." Charles moaned.

"I hate his guts period." Rosa gruffed, her black curls sitting against her shoulders.

"I call dibs on the bathroom, goose!" Jake shouted. Amy tilted her head in confusion as she watched Jake slide across the floor in his socks and towards the ladder without waiting for a response.

"Not fair! You got a head start!" Gina cried out before she chased after Jake. Their tiny footsteps pattered across the floorboards.

Rosa shoved the duvet away from herself and walked towards the window, flinging the curtains apart. Sunlight poured through the window and illuminated every dark corner, crevice, and shade of the once darkened attic. Amy pushed the duvet away from herself as well, quickly readying herself for the new day, and immediately missed its warmth. The cold air bit against her skin whilst she shivered. Amy reached for the glasses that was neatly positioned next to her watch and placed them on.

Amy reached over to the worn out trash bag containing her few possessions. Inside were seven plain t-shirts, three pairs of jeans, some unwashed undergarments, her toothbrush, her toothpaste, and a pencil case jingling with short pencils. But the most polished looking objects inside the bag were a yellow notepad and one book, Anne of Green Gables, wrapped in a neat red ribbon. The notepad and the book were gifts from her previous schoolteacher Mrs. Haas, a stern, five inch, elderly but wonderful woman, shortly before she was placed with the Vulture. They were the only gifts that Amy ever received.

She pulled out her toothbrush, and toothpaste out and descended down the ladder with Charles and Rosa. She followed them into the bathroom where Jake and Gina already were. The two of them stood side by side vigorously brushing their teeth, remnants of toothpaste and spit foaming out of their mouths.

Jake gurgled before he spat into the sink, throwing his arms up in victory.

"I am victorious!" Jake hollered. "In your face, goose!"

Gina rolled her eyes before she spat in the sink a few seconds later.

"Cheater." she flicked droplets of water against Jake's face, much to Jake's dismay. He scrunched his face from the playful assault. He stuck his tongue out to his friend before Gina stuck her tongue out as well.

"Race you back upstairs!" Gina called out. The two of them brushed past Rosa, Charles and Amy who were huddled against the doorway. Once they left the three of them squeezed into the bathroom and quickly began to brush their teeth as well. Amy made sure to vigorously scrub through every tooth, every gap, and her tongue despite the time constraint. Its bustles were rough against her gums from overuse but she was used to it. It wasn't like she could afford a new one anyway.

Normally when she would enter a new school, she would carefully choose the outfit to wear from her limited wardrobe. It was important for her to make a good impression no matter where she went. Instead she had to throw on the first pair of jeans and t-shirt she saw and rush out the door, barely making it to the Vulture's car in time.

Even worse than rushing through her wardrobe process was the ride to the school. She was forced to squeeze inside the back of the car with Charles, Rosa, and Gina. Perspiration stuck to her clothing by the time the car rolled up in front of the school.

"Right." The Vulture groaned. He pinched the bridge of his nose before reaching to a red cooler in the car.

"Here's breakfast, losers." The Vulture unceremoniously tossed two objects to each of the kids from the cooler. Amy's lips etch into an upside down "u" shape. Her forehead wrinkled with creases as she observed the two objects.

"This is just soda and a KitKat bar!" she objected. She wasn't going to begin her first day of school on a sugar rush and a precedent for cavities. Charles couldn't agree more. He was grimacing especially at the offending food.

The Vulture shrugged then pressed the unlock switch to the car doors. "I'm your foster parent. What I say, goes. Whether you want to starve or not is your decision."

Amy's right eye twitched. Of all of the apathetic foster parents in the state, she was stuck with him. Amy heard a snicker slightly at her reaction, but was unsure as to where it came from.

The kids piled out of the car. The Vulture gazed his reflection at the window and licked his palm. He slicked his muzzy hair back.

"See you suckers later." The car's tires screeched against the road and it shot off like a rocket, blowing past a stop sign. When the car made a right then, everyone except Jake dropped their sodas and chocolate onto the ground.

"Well if no one's going to eat them, I'll just take these right here-" Jake scooped up all of the candy bars and soda cans into his arms.

Amy stared. "You do realize those will give you cavities, right?"

"Too late." Jake munched at a piece of KitKat. "Iw awrehdy ah six of 'em."

Amy's face scrunched up and her lips curled into a bigger frown. Jake seemed to pay no mind to her shock. Instead he faced the direction of the school and exaggeratedly breathed in the air. He then turned to Amy.

"Kuhhm wi me, Amy!" Bits of chocolate flew in the air as he spoke. "Tje drughdery oof skhool watts!" He marched right up the stairs to the school courtyard, his chest puffed up into the air.

"He's always like that." Charles commented to Amy. He patted her shoulder and followed Jake, Gina, and Rosa to the school.

Amy peered up at the school's structure once she reached the top of the stairs. The brick building towered over her like a castle. Eerie gargoyle like statues adorned the roof and was looking downwards at the school grounds. As children filed into the building the gargoyles' eyes seemed to follow their movements. Green vines surrounded the front walls of the school and stretched down from the roof.

A nervous energy thrummed within Amy as she gazed in awe of the building, but it was a good nervous. She grinned at the thought of meeting the teachers inside and impressing them with her vast knowledge of mathematics and literature. She wondered about what kind of after-school activities they offered as well. Perhaps she could join the school's band? Or maybe partake in their art club?

Until she felt someone' bony shoulder shove her into the ground.

The pull of gravity knocked her knees and notebook down to the ground. A rushed out ,"Sorry!", was given to her as her palms dug into the ground. She then heard the sound of three girls laughing together. Her thoughts of elation vanished into thin air instantly, replaced by distant echoes of jeers and taunts and a room enclosed in darkness.

Suddenly all she wanted to do was run, run far away as she could. But she couldn't. How did walking work anyway? Was it one foot in front of the other? Or was she supposed to use her arms instead?

It was getting warmer. Why was it feeling so hot? But it's March. Shouldn't it be cooler instead? Yet, she could feel her a single bead of sweat tickling behind her neck.

The other kids flowed into the entrance with ease, failing to notice a trembling girl kneeling on the ground. Amy was too focused on keeping her lungs in check. Everything in her chest felt tight and restrictive. She couldn't breathe. Her intestines were twisting together in spirals. She could see nothing but misty blurs of fading gray, black, and white. Her heart was pounding and she could hear it pulsing in her ears. She covered her ears but it was fruitless to the crashing pulses.

All at once she could feel the turn of the planet. The world was a swirling carousel and she was caught riding it in infinite ellipses. She wanted to scream for it stop but her voice got caught in her throat. She's drowning, she's spinning, gulping and gasping for oxygen all at once. Everything was closing on her.

She was so focused on trying to breathe properly that she didn't notice a pair of dirt clad sneakers standing adjacent to hers.

"Hey, are you okay?" a muffled voice asked. Amy's vision remained glued to the cement. She pursed her lips together and bit the inside of her cheek, willing herself not to cry.

The stranger extended a hand towards Amy's shoulder but she jerked herself away. Her body shuddered from the foreign touch. The stranger's hands immediately pulled back.

"No, no, no it's okay! Don't be scared. It's me, Jake."

Amy's head tilted up slightly. The tears were beginning to form. From her blurred vision, she saw brown curly hair and a face. His hands were hovering over her hunched position.

She ducked her head again, her cheeks burning from shame. She could not believe that she let him see her like this — vulnerable and fragile. Her body continued to tremble as she pointlessly breathed in and out at a rapid pace. Spots danced around her vision, her breathing had become more shallow. For the past few minutes, Amy was met with complete silence as her tears dripped down her cheeks and nose. Jake hadn't left the spot once, unsure as what to do.

"Listen, uh, it's gonna be okay." said Jake. "It's just you and me right now. No one else is here. But I need you to breathe, okay? Can you do that?"

"In…" Jake exaggeratedly inhaled through his nose. "Out." He exhaled through his mouth.

"In." he inhaled again. "Out." he exhaled again. He continued the process while Amy tried to follow.

She looked up again slightly to see Jake's hand reach for her until he sharply pulled away, realizing his mistake.

"Damn it. I'm sorry. Is it-I-damn...um-can I touch?"

She gave a meek nod, preparing herself for his touch. She felt Jake's fingers gently grasped her tense hand and tug it towards him. Amy still refused to look Jake in the eye, continuing to take interest to the cement, but trying to breathe nevertheless. Jake paid little mind to that and instead took her other hand and held it in his own.

"You're doing great. Take your time, okay? I'm right here." Jake continued to breathe in and out while his thumbs simultaneously rubbed smooth patterns on Amy's skin. Amy focused on the feel of his hands. They held her like an anchor, never letting go. In the messiness of her thoughts, she momentarily remembered a breathing exercise that someone taught her.

She breathed in and counted. 1, 2, 3, 4.

She held it in. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

She breathed back out. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

The exercise repeated like a mantra. She didn't know how long she repeated it. Eventually the lasso holding her lungs hostage loosened and released them from captivity. Her heart slowed down until it didn't feel like it was going to burst out of her chest. The trembling began to subside. The tightening of her fists became more lax. She was at a standstill and everything was moving at its own pace once more.

Time seemed to pass by her as segments to Amy with little notice. She remembered feeling Jake slightly pulling her up to her feet and the weight of his jacket placed around her shoulders. He then quietly asked if he could put his arm around her shoulders and take her somewhere nearby. She remembered nodding in response.

Then she felt an arm wrapped protectively around her back as she was guided away from the school. It was a short walk to wherever Jake was taking her. Everything within her felt numb. She was tired. The exhaustion from her panic attack was settling in her bones. She then noticed that the two of them stopped in front of some steps. Jake's knuckles knocked against an unknown door, his arm was still wrapped over her shoulders.

The door creaked open.

"Jake, you know we don't open until 11." a male voice groaned from the entrance.

"It's super important, Sal. Please?"

The next few seconds were surrounded with silence. She must have looked so pathetic while standing in front of this man — staring blankly at the ground and tugging on Jake's jacket as the wind chilled against her skin.

"…I'll go open up."

"Thanks, Sal."

Amy felt a hand at the small of her back gently nudge her through the doors, still averting Jake's eyes. Music was muttering from the radio station and she could smell the aromas of spices and garlic. She was led down to a plush red sitting booth and took her seat quietly. She heard the booth squeak in front of her as Jake settled in the seat in front of her.

"You doing okay there?"

A red plastic cup was placed on the table before her. Amy cradled the cup in her hands and took a few gulps of the cool water. Amy took one last shuddering exhale. She then finally raised her head, daring to look up to Jake after all the events that have conspired.

It was a different image compared to his joking self just this morning. Jake was carefully studying her face and nervously twiddling his thumbs within his folded hands, unsure on how to act next. Yet there was a touching concern in his gaze as he looked at her darkened circles under her eyes down to her dried tear streaked cheeks.

"I'm a little better now." she murmured, slightly looking towards her left.

Jake nodded and quietly muttered "Coolcoolcoolcoolcool…" under his breath before speaking again.

"You really scared me back at the school." he began as he brushed back his curly hair. "I thought you were having a heart attack or something."

Amy's fingers rubbed against the cup as she contemplated her answer. Here she was barely a week at her new placement and already made a fool of herself by "freaking out" over a new school. She couldn't see how could she redeem herself to the other kids at the Vulture's after what Jake saw. What the whole school possibly saw and will say when she goes back there…To her, there was no avoiding the inevitable teasing now.

"I'm sorry." she said. Her cheeks burned hot with shame. "It won't happen again."

"You don't have to be sorry about that. It's not like you're able to control it. You were probably feeling nervous about going to the school or something, right?"

Amy shrugged. "Or something."

"I mean I should be the one that's sorry. I had no idea about what to do back there. I just stood there totally useless." Jake slightly scoffed and ducked his head.

"You weren't useless." Amy argued, her voice rising slightly in pitch. "You really helped me."

Jake's head slightly poked up. "Yeah?"

Amy nodded in response. She felt the slight urge to touch Jake's hand, but resisted. She didn't want her emotions to get the best of her, especially in front of one of the few kids who was nice to her since forever.

"School starts in 10, Jake." Sal called out from the kitchen.

"School, right. That's a thing." Jake stood up from his seat. Amy stood up as well, but slower than Jake. Her palms and legs were trembling slightly as she stood up. Jake took notice and scrunched his face in confusion. He shook his head in disapproval.

"There's no way you're going to school today."

"What?" Amy asked.

"You're literally shaking right now. You have to lie down or something."

"I'm fine, see? I do this all the time at my old schools." Amy said nonchalantly. She made a move to go but Jake blocked the path.

"This happened before?" Jake gaped.

Amy scrunched her eyes, annoyed at herself for letting that slip. She carefully thought of a response that wouldn't upset Jake further.

"I've never missed a day of school in my entire life. I'm not going to start now."

As much as her muscles ached and how she wanted to curl up in a ball and sleep, she didn't want to afford to lose a day of school. She didn't care what anyone said. Her education mattered first over whatever these "freak out moments" were, no matter what they did to her. How was she supposed to get out of the system without an education?

Jake pursed his lips, remaining silent for a few seconds. He finally responded, "I'll take care of it."

"What?"

"I'll just get your schedule and get the notes from the teachers you have. And you can hang out here with Sal until school ends!"

Amy crossed her arms. "No. I can't make you go through that much trouble."

"Look, I know that I'm not the biggest fan of school, but it's obviously important to you so…I'll take care of it." he reiterated. "Honestly, dude. It's okay."

Amy slightly stepped back, contemplating his words. She was stunned by his generosity and openness to help despite barely knowing her for a few days. There was no hint of trickery or malice in his manner, only an honest offer to help. She felt her lips curve into a smile. It always surprised her that people would offer to preform such simple acts of kindness for her.

"Alright." Amy conceded and sat back down on the booth. "If you're sure."

Jake breathed a sigh of relief.

"And you're going to come back right?"

She saw how his body stiffened momentarily at her words like they were ice against his skin. That moment of vulnerability disappeared before she could comprehend it. Jake seemed to ponder on her question for a while, as if it was the most important question in his universe. He then plucked the pin attached his shirt.

"Here." he handed the tiny airplane pin and placed it in her palm. "You can hold onto it while I'm gone."

"Your…pin?" Amy's eyebrow arched.

"My lucky pin. It's a promise that I'll come back." He closed her palm into a fist and flashed a warm smile towards her. No words could describe everything that Jake had for her this morning. Except for a couple.

"Thank you, Jake." Before Jake could respond, Sal arrived at their table with a styrofoam container wrapped in a plastic bag in his hand.

"Sal, can Amy stay here while I'm at school?" Jake asked.

"She doesn't have school?"

"She just needs some time to herself. It's, uh, personal. Please?"

Sal's eyes grew serious as he looked at Amy once again. Under Sal's gaze, Amy took this time to examine the pin Jake gave her. One look at her demure state and Sal nodded in understanding.

"Alright then. Maybe I can give her some of my granddaughter's books to read." Sal handed him the bag. "Lunch since you're here."

"You're the best, Sal!" Jake swiped the bag and took off for the doors, waving goodbye to Sal and Amy from the windows as he ran past.

"He must really like you." Sal commented to her a few seconds later. "He never lets anyone touch that pin."

Amy's fingers felt against the ridges of the pin before finally closing it in her hand once more.

"Guess so."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Hope you like the chapter.

* * *

 **March 26th, 2013: Tuesday**

 **Tubman Middle/High School; 8:30 a.m.**

Jake had kept his promise of taking care of Amy's missed schoolwork while she rested at Sal's. He was able to get her schedule printed out thanks to one of the teachers there, Scully. Scully was more than happy to do it once Jake exchanged his lunch from Sal in return for Scully's sandwich. The sandwich wasn't too terrible.

He then had to run to each one of Amy's classes after his own to get the notes and homework from the teachers before they left. There were sweat stains under Jake's sleeves when he returned to Sal's at 3 p.m.

Once Amy received her schoolwork, she huddled herself into a corner under the light of a dusty desk lamp and worked to complete it throughout the late afternoon until the night while everyone else had fallen asleep. It was peacefully quiet except for the moments when she would gnaw on her pencil as she repeatedly read over her algebra equations. There were also the moments when the Vulture would interrupt the silence with drunken yells at his television every few minutes.

If there was one thing that Amy was skilled at, it was schoolwork. She took pride in her intelligence and impressing her teachers with her eagerness to learn. Whenever she would come to a new school, she would try to catch up to her classes and stay at least five steps ahead of her fellow classmates. The homework was only mildly difficult in her standards considering that some of the subjects, like math, were familiar due to her previous courses. By 1 a.m. Amy had finally staggered to the comforter, physically and mentally exhausted.

Twenty four hours later from the "incident", she was looking up once more at the brick wall structure in front of her. Its elongated vines were still stretched down from the roof to the walls. The stone gargoyle ornaments, creepy as ever, sat on their stoops on the roof.

"Welp, there it is once again." Jake commented. "The bringer of all death and destruction to kids across the country."

"You don't have to do this if you want to." Jake said, double checking on her status. He noticed how sluggish she was earlier from the way she could barely keep her eyes awake after shutting off her alarm.

Amy adjusted her glasses on her nose then gripped onto the books in her arms.

"I'm ready." she simply said. She was absolutely sure about this more than anything, despite the droopiness in her eyes and the yawns bubbling inside her chest.

"Okay then, but if something like yesterday happens again, you can tell me." Amy nodded and mustered a smile.

Jake grinned as well, offering his hand to Amy. Amy looked at the offered hand for a few seconds, then slowly grasped her hand in Jake's and followed his lead. Most of the crowds have subsided so the duo slipped in with ease. As they entered past the front doors, Amy looked around the vast hallway at what she saw. Kids were bustling around the hallway while they endlessly chatted with their friends as they were walking to their classrooms. The walls were vividly decorated with banners of upcoming games and flyers promoting the school clubs. Her feelings of fatigue were temporarily forgotten by the energy of the other kids.

"It's amazing." Amy uttered in awe.

Jake shrugged. "It's nothing special. Just wait until you meet the new principal. He's a real pain in the ass about, eh, pretty much everything."

"But now to give you the grand tour of the place!" Jake exclaimed loudly as he guided Amy through the hall with their hands still clasped together.

"You got your band geeks, your chemistry club, newspaper staff, student government, dance team — Gina actually has a recital with her dance team in a couple of weeks so look out for that." Jake listed off.

"I joined the basketball team myself but I got kicked out. Apparently I needed to start "showing up on time" and "cooperate with others." Jake mocked. "I mean phssh! Who needs them? Can you believe that?"

"They don't know what they're missing out on." Amy answered, curious about this incident. She made a mental note to herself to learn more about Jake later.

"Exactly! And speaking of the robot himself…"

Amy's gaze followed Jake's and she saw him: the principal. She straightened her posture quickly and combed any stray hairs on her head as she saw the principal approaching them. He was a middle aged, man of medium stature with umber skin. He was formally dressed in a crisp navy suit and matching pants with a black tie adjusted in the middle of his chest. The principal closed the distance between them.

"Jake. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Holt greeted in a low register tone.

"I was just showing a new kid around the place."

Holt turned to Amy.

"My sincere apologies. You must be the new student that I read about." He lowered himself downwards so that he was at eye level with Amy and held out a hand. "I'm Raymond Holt, the principal of this school. You may address me as Principal Holt or sir."

"Amy." she introduced. She firmly gripped Holt's hand and shook it. "It's an honor to meet such a powerful, distinguished, and well dressed person as yourself, sir." She winced slightly at her last few words.

"Yes, I find suits are rather appropriate, seeing as I do run this facility." he released Amy's hand. "If there are no further questions, I must attend to the morning announcements."

Before Holt took a step, Amy raised her hand as if she was already in class, a question forming in her mind.

"Yes, Amy?" Holt asked.

"I was wondering sir, if you don't mind, telling me why this school starts at 9 o'clock? It's just that the schools that I've gone to start earlier than that and I was just curious about it…" she trailed off as Holt gave looked at her rather stoically. She wondered if this was how he usually looked at others.

"I'd be more than happy to answer." Holt responded. "You see, Amy, I have read reports that concluded later school times are actually beneficial to children. Students who began school at later times were more alert in class and were able to retain more information. As a result, high grades were achieved. My job as principal is to not only create the most optimum learning environment in this city, but an environment where students will work their hardest because they are able to. Does that answer your question?"

Amy was awestruck, left speechless for words. She was impressed with not only Holt's strength and articulation but his dedication to his school and children as well. She felt Jake nudge her arm. Had she been staring for too long?

"Y-yes, sir." she finally stuttered out. The warning bell rang.

"You should go to class now, Amy. I wish you the best of luck and I hope that you benefit from this school. Feel free to come to my office at any time should you encounter any issues."

He turned to Jake. "Jake, I will see you shortly this afternoon."

He gave her and Jake a solemn nod and left for his office.

"Wow." Amy whispered in awe as she watched Holt walk away. She hoped to become someone as confident and inspiring as Holt one day.

* * *

 **Tubman Middle/High School — Library; 2:50 p.m.**

Amy sighed wearily halfheartedly read through her book. She was leaning her head against her arm, barely paying attention to the plot of the story. The library was quiet except for the hum of the fluorescent lights above her.

In every school she attended she always sought for refuge in empty rooms of the school. Sometimes it was an empty classroom. Other times it was an art studio. She was especially grateful if the school she was currently attending had a library. Occasionally she would read any of the musty literature available and happily help the librarian with tasks like logging in returned books or alphabetically cataloging the books. Libraries were a safe haven to her. They provided the comfort and the distractions needed whenever she was having a bad day.

But not even the joys of reading a crisp printed book could distract her from her first day at the new school.

After Jake dropped her off at her math class, Amy sat down in the front of the classroom with her supplies taken out and hands folded neatly on top of the desk. There was a dazed off gleam in her eyes — she was still over the moon after her encounter with Principal Holt. Nothing was going to bring her down. That is until she saw something a few seats across: a boy with dirty blond hair chuckling with his friends. The boy caught Amy's gaze and patted one of his friend's arms.

 _"Look at the new girl in class."_

 _"I saw ditch school yesterday with someone — the dude with the bushy hair. I think she's living with him and his other weird friends."_

As the math class began and continued, Amy was met with only dirty looks and eye-rolls from that certain group of boys whenever she would raise her hand with a question. Unfortunately incidents like that only continued as those three boys shared the next few classes with her. _"Nerd", "ugly",_ and _"teacher's pet"_ were hissed towards her every single moment the teacher turned away from the class. There were a few instances when the back of her head was pelted with paper balls and airplanes. For the most part, those comments fell silent to her ears.

Then there was History class just before her free period. The class had to organize into groups on a assignment regarding World War I. While the kids separated to their own cliques, Amy was left all alone and ignored. The teacher, Ms. Kaine, felt sympathetic towards her and had let Amy work with her for the rest of the class session. Amy felt, if only, slightly better working with the teacher and getting attention from her. Again she heard the hushed whispers of other students as they glared at her with contempt.

 _"Hunter told me that she's another one of those homeless kids."_

 _"You mean she lives with them?"_

 _"Her parents probably ditched her for drugs. I mean, look at that face. "_

 _"I heard that they all have to sleep in a bathtub together. With rats."_

 _"Gross."_

 _"Shut up! She's looking this way."_

The words did sting, but only with minimal effect. They probably expected her to burst into tears right there from their snide comments and the humiliation. But she didn't. That was what those bullies wanted, what people like them always wanted. She wasn't going to give them that satisfaction. Foster parents, schools, and mean kids were no different no matter where she went. They all blended together in swirls and blurred in her mind. If anything, those past experiences have only prepared her for what's next and numbed her to the pain.

The library door creaked open suddenly, making Amy jump a bit from surprise. Her attention from the book now turned to Rosa who had just entered the room. She was clad in all black from her leather jacket down to her torn up, dirt ridden sneakers.

"Rosa?" Amy asked. "What are you doing here?"

"Book report." Rosa replied curtly as she searched through the shelves until she found the books she needed. Amy couldn't help but curiously watch Rosa as she hefted the books up against her shoulder easily and handed them to the librarian to be checked out.

"What?" Rosa gruffed, noticing Amy's gaze on her.

"Nothing!" said Amy, alarmed that she was caught staring at her. She ducked her head into her book, _Kristy's Big Idea,_ her cheeks beginning to burn. Amy's eyes inched up slightly from her book, watching Rosa walk towards the door.

Amy likes to consider herself a tough person. She wasn't a coward by no means and was capable of handling herself. She likes to compare herself to a quartz. It was a mineral that's not too soft or not too tough — just right in the middle. But if she was a quartz, then Rosa was a diamond. Rosa seemed to glisten and outshine on her own, making Amy look like a shiny penny in comparison. Rosa radiated fear and awe amongst her peers. No one dared messed with her.

Amy wanted to open her mouth and speak to Rosa, despite some nauseating fear of being physically harmed. However, she also knew the choice she made in the beginning: to stay distant and to not make any long lasting friendships. Realistically, these connections are fragile at best. Yet now and then there was the slightest yearning for a friend, especially now. It would be nice to have a person her age to talk to about her day with and to comfort her when things go wrong. It couldn't hurt to try, just this once, right?

Just before Rosa stepped out the door, she paused. Rosa stood by the doorway for several seconds and seemed to contemplate something. Rosa then heaved a sigh, as if she was regretting her next decision. She turned around and closed the door behind her.

"Don't you have class or something right now?"

"This is my free period."

"And you're spending it in some old, stuffy library?" Rosa crossed her arms. Amy's head poked out of the book.

"There's a perfectly good reason for that."

"Spit it out already. I haven't got all day."

"I just…I needed a quiet place to myself for a while. Today was just very overwhelming."

"I guess I get that." Rosa shrugged. "I lose brain cells every minute that I'm in class with the douchebags in this school."

"I know, right? The kids here are terrible." Amy nodded in agreement, seeing an opening for herself. "Like today-"

"I didn't say to tell me your entire life story."

Amy closed her mouth, looking down at the ground awkwardly. "Right. Sorry."

Rosa looked down at the books in her hand. "Ugh, school is the worst."

"Well, I wouldn't necessarily agree with that. A good education can go a long way in life."

Rosa chuckled humorlessly. "Please. It's not like it's going to matter in the end."

Amy scrunched her face in confusion. "What do you- Of course it matters. How are we supposed to become successful in the future if we don't go to college and get a degree?"

Rosa scoffed. "College? Degree? How are you supposed to go to college if you don't graduate high school?"

"It could happen if we work hard enough."

"Exactly. 'It could.' Maybe you've forgotten what we are, so I'll spell it out for you." Rosa took a step closer to Amy. "We're foster kids. We rot in the system, become messed up adults, and get thrown out into the streets when we get too old."

"And that's it? You're just going to accept that?"

"Haven't you?"

The final bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. Before Amy had a chance to respond, Rosa was already gone.

How is it that people were able to form friendships with others so easily but she struggles to connect with one person?

Amy scooped up her belongings on the table and chased after Rosa. A mass of crowds had already formed in the halls as the kids rushed to get home. Amy peered through the crowds and spotted Rosa walking through the sea of kids.

"Rosa." Amy called out. Her call went ignored as Rosa continued to walk towards the exit. Amy wanted to chase after her but tensed up by crowds in the main hallway surrounding the exit. She squirmed uncomfortably in the space that she stood in — trapped between the front doors of the library and the crowds of people pushing each other. Amy could almost feel it happening again; she could feel herself standing on nauseating merry-go-round once more. She was so distracted from preventing herself from having another panic attack that she didn't see the person sneaking up behind her and stealing her books.

The mean boy with the dirty blond hair, Hunter, stood before Amy, a good few inches taller than her.

"Well, what do you know? She's both blind and short." the boy sneered as he held Amy's books hostage.

"Give them back!" Amy jumped up to reach her books. Hunter only lifted them up higher.

"Sure I will. For a kiss." he turned his cheek towards Amy and pointed at it.

"No."

"Then what are you going to do about it, short stack?"

He shoved Amy to the ground and snickered when she fell. After every frustrating thing that happened today, she couldn't take it. Amy stood up and brushed the dust off herself. Her foot stomped down on Hunter's foot _hard_. The boy yowled in such agony that some of the commotion in the hallways stopped to watch.

"Why are you being so mean to me, you jerk?" she exploded. "Just leave me alone."

"You're going to pay for that." said Hunter, no longer teasing.

"I'm not afraid of you."

"You should be." Hunter took a step forward, ready to lunge and tackle himself towards Amy. Until he felt the harsh tug on his shirt collar pulling him back. Hunter's back slammed against a row of lockers. Two hands grasped the front of his shirt and lifted him a couple of inches into the air. Rosa stood in front of him, her fists clutching the lapels of his shirt and sparks of red embers burning in her eyes.

"She said to leave her alone." Rosa growled.

"This is none of your business."

"Guess what? You just made it my business." Hunter tried to push off Rosa's fists but was only pushed back against the lockers.

"I'm only going to say this once. If I see you or any of your friends making fun of the new girl, hell even so much as look at her, I will personally beat your sorry butthead into a pulp. Got it?"

"Like I'm going to be scared of you, lezbo."

Rosa inched closer to the boy nose to nose, silently glaring at him. Then just as easily as she lifted him, she dropped him on the ground. Her lips curled into a twisted smile.

"Alright then."

Rosa threw her first punch at Hunter, landing it straight at his eye. The kids surrounding the two of them groaned.

"You actually punched me!" Hunter yelled in disbelief, cradling his injury. Rosa cracked her knuckles.

"You want some more?"

"Enough!" a voice boomed. The crowd parted and everyone turned around to see Principal Holt standing in disapproval, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He stepped in front of Rosa and Hunter unimpressed. Amy bit her nails in apprehension, watching Holt quietly look down upon the two kids.

"Hunter, Rosa, with me." Hunter hurriedly stood right beside Principal Holt. "Rosa."

"Give me a sec'."

 _"Now."_

Rosa rolled her eyes. She picked up the books off the ground and offered them to Amy. Amy hesitantly took the books back.

"Um, thank you."

"Tell the others I'll be back late again."

"S-Sure."

Rosa tucked her hands into her jacket and casually walked off with Principal Holt. Amy stood there in stunned silence at what just occurred. She couldn't understand if Rosa was angry at her or something else. But she was grateful that she showed up when she did.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: This chapter will be centered around Jake. The beginning of the chapter is a bit dark. The Vulture is a bit sadistic in this story as well.

Triggers/warnings: physical abuse in beginning

* * *

 **March 29, 2013; Friday**

 **The Vulture's attic; 8:20 a.m.**

"Turd face! Get your white ass down here now!"

Jake yawned loudly as he slowly rose from his slumber. He smacked his lips, looking at the rising sun through dirt-ridden eyes. He twisted his neck to left and heard a familiar clicking sound.

"Turd face!"

Jake groaned. It was possible that The Vulture was tricking him to get out of bed an hour early. He usually did that for a good laugh. Jake wanted nothing more than to bury himself back under his pillow and doze off for a few more hours. But he had school. Not to mention, he didn't want to get on Principal Holt's bad side again.

He peered at his busted up toy TMNT watch on his wrist.

 ** _8:20 a.m._**

"Crap!"

Jake shoved the covers away and started scrambling for the dresser. In his haste, the sheets got tangled between his feet and he tripped onto the padding. Jake huffed in annoyance against his curls blocking his vision. A _great_ way to start the day. He kicked the sheets away with flailing feet. His hands then tossed through his personal drawer of the dresser and settled onto a red and black plaid shirt and blue jeans.

"Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap." Jake continued to mutter to himself. It occurred to him that he forgot to brush his teeth, but that wasn't important right now. It could wait until the evening. He raced down the stairs and nearly tripped again from his intertwining ankles. All of his hair was a disheveled mess, not that it wasn't a mess already. He was practically a sweating and heaving mess by the time he bursted through the door to the garage. Never had he felt more relieved to see that hideous red sports car sitting there until that moment.

"How's your morning been so far, sunshine?" The Vulture teased. He was leaning against the hood of the car with his arms crossed. A lit cigarette rested between his fingers.

"Peachy." Jake responded. His only focus was making a beeline towards the car.

"Peachy? Just 'peachy'? Come on, you can give me a little more than."

As Jake reached for the car door handle, The Vulture shifted himself and blocked Jake's path.

"Dude, stop obsessing over me."

"I asked you a simple question."

"So?"

"So I expect an answer. What's the matter with you? A guy can't ask a simple question about your morning?" The Vulture spat out, his friendly facade crumbling.

Jake faced The Vulture and looked directly at him.

"Look normally I would totally make jokes about your bottle bleached hair at your expense, but I'm not in the mood."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were PMS-ing at this very moment. Did I hurt your 'wittle fweelings'?" The Vulture's eyebrow twitched in irritation.

"Well, it's not like you actually care about them."

The Vulture stood over Jake and quietly absorbed his words. He inhaled and exhaled through his cigarette one last time before crunching it silently on the concrete with his shoe. Before Jake could react, The Vulture seized his shirt collar and shoved him onto the hood of the car. The breath got knocked out of Jake quickly as he was forcibly face planted against the car. The pain from the impact against the metal swirled around his skull.

His upper back and torso was held hostage by The Vulture's weight. He tried to get up but The Vulture's hand was pressing his neck and head further against the car. His thin arms flailed helpless against The Vulture's talon-like grip. The car trembled a little bit until one of its doors flung open and Jake heard the scuffle of feet.

"Stop!" Amy cried out. "You can't do this."

"Yeah! Get your gross, grubby hands off of him." said Gina.

"Let him go." Rosa growled, her fists tightened. She had already taken a few steps towards The Vulture.

"Go back in the car unless you want to see him burn." The Vulture warned.

Jake's eyes nearly bulged out of his sockets as The Vulture flicked his lighter to life and held the flame dangerously close to his cheek. At the sight of this, Rosa took another step towards The Vulture. Charles and Gina squeezed Rosa's arms and held her back. In Rosa's right hand, she was clutching something inside her jacket. She was primed and ready to strike if necessary.

Jake tried to control his frantic breathing and relax as his skin rested against the cool surface. He closed his eyes and tried not to think about The Vulture's fingers pinching against him. Everything about this was wrong. It was shocking how The Vulture escalated in such a short amount of time. The Vulture would give the occasional slap behind the head if one of them misbehaved or shove them out of the way if he's annoyed, but he never acted this violent towards them.

Jake wished that he was strong. He wished he was like John McClane and strong enough to twist away The Vulture's arm, punch him in the face, and fight back. Instead all he could do was struggle as The Vulture creeped forward like a snake until he was merely inches away from his face. His breath reeked of coffee and cigarettes with a hint of vodka.

"All of you brats are the same. I feed you, I give you a place to sleep, I drive you to school…and I do it without so much as a thank you."

The Vulture took one last good, hard look at Jake. And just as easily as The Vulture held him captive, he let him go. Jake collapsed against the car and the other kids rushed towards him and checked if he's alright. The Vulture just strolled to his car.

"Let's go already! I don't have all day!"

Everyone then hastily rushed back inside the car and squished into the backseat except Charles who took up the front seat. Jake took the far end of one of car seats. Amy was nested between Jake and Gina with Rosa next to Gina. Once settled down, Jake grimaced in pain and gingerly touched the back of his neck where The Vulture grabbed him. Rosa gritted her teeth as she looked at The Vulture, her fists tightening.

"You doing alright there, Jake?" Charles quietly asked. Jake's gaze darted to the left. He only nodded in response and let out a pained cough. He didn't want to deal with anyone's pity. The last thing he needed after the incident was attention. Charles frowned, tapping his finger against his chin while he began to think. He then smiled, a brilliant idea crossing his mind.

"Here Jake! Have some of my bratwurst." Charles reached over to Jake to give a paper bag with some oil stains. Just as it reached Jake, a hand snatched up the bag.

"No eating in the car, dummies." The Vulture called out.

The man dumped the bag in the car side pocket. Charles gaped in abhorrence. The horror of it all. The Vulture then glared at Jake through his rearview mirror.

"And you, you're lucky I didn't leave your sorry ass back in the house."

He turned the key only for the car engine to sputter.

"Come on, you stupid piece of shit."

The Vulture slammed his hand against the dashboard, startling everyone except Rosa inside the car. Amy and Gina looked especially shaken up. Amy fiddled with the fibers of her bag while Gina squirmed slightly in her confined space. Finally, the engine roared to life and the car sped off to the school. The kids were eerily silent during the trip to the school, quietly absorbing the events that just occurred.

("Hey, Rosa?" Jake whispered a few minutes later.

"Yeah?"

"I could've handled that."

Rosa smiled, if only a little.

"I know, buddy.")

* * *

 **Tubman Middle/High School — 2:55 p.m.**

Jake was resting his head against his arm while tapping his pencil mindlessly against his desk. The pencil pattered to the sound of drumbeats. It was an endless _tic, tic, tic_ that resonated from the desk. He was staring with anticipation at the clock, watching the seconds tick by too slowly. The teacher's voice was mumbled yet soothing like lullaby. Jake could feel himself being lulled to sleep. If only he could just close his eyes for one minute…

He was doing it again, wasn't he? Jake shook his head, trying to wake himself up. The teacher was still mumbling on and on about triangles and angles. It wasn't his fault that numbers weren't his thing. Who needs math anyway?

"Now before we end today's class, who can tell me again the laws of sine and cosine? Anyone?"

The class only stared blankly at the teacher.

"How about you, Jake?" Jake's head perked up to attention. All eyes turned to him.

"Psh, that's easy. It's…uh…" Jake continued to draw out his answer, looking at the clock every few seconds. He could feel himself burning as everyone stared at him and expected him to answer. On his right he heard a couple of kids snickering at him. Jake was fuming inside. It was bad enough that he was humiliated this morning and now he had to face more of it in Math class as well. His teacher was a jerk.

 ** _BRRRRNNNG!_**

Jake heaved a sigh of relief and began to stuff his backpack with his scrawled up papers. The kids' attention turned away to pack away their things. After he finished packing his papers, Jake dashed for the exit and ran. He tumbled out the front doors, pushing through the masses of students leaving the school. When he reached the doors, he let out a victory cheer.

"Freedom!" he hollered with his arms up in the air. He seated himself on one of the handrails, ready to slide down.

"Wait a moment, Jake." Jake turned around to see Principal Holt walking towards him, stoic as ever. "I need to speak with you."

"If this is about the incident with the rat a few days ago, I swear it was _mostly_ not my fault."

"What?"

"What? I mean, nothing." Holt shook his head and heaved a sigh in disbelief.

"I'll discuss that with you another time. I have been wanting to talk to you about-" Holt paused.

"I'm apologize, it's just that…I couldn't help but notice that mark upon your neck." Holt gestured to Jake's red and violet bruise.

"Oh this? I was trying a new skateboard trick until I, uh, tripped." Jake avoided eye contact with Holt as he spoke. He pulled his jacket collar further up his neck in a poor attempt to hide the bruising.

"Did you want something or what?" He shoved his hands in pockets and shuffled his feet. He continued to look downwards, suddenly feeling self-conscious of his appearance. If Holt was surprised by this sudden change in behavior, he didn't show. Instead he remained silent for a few seconds before speaking again.

"I have been discussing your grades with your Math teacher for the past couple of weeks. She told me that your grades have been-"

"So amazing that I can skip school forever?" Jake interjected.

"I was going to say subpar."

"Noice."

"No, Jake, this is not 'noice'."

"Really?" Jake asked in disbelief.

"Yes, really. I was going to suggest that you stay after-school today and receive extra-help with your studies."

Jake snorted.

"Wait, wait, wait. You actually expect me to freely spend more time in school?"

"Yes." Holt responded, not missing a beat.

"Welp, sorry to disappoint you there but I got, uh, plans now."

It was Holt's turn to be surprised. Holt's eyebrow arched in surprise.

"Really? What kind of plans?"

"Like, 'super dope doesn't-involve-my-boring-principal' plans." Jake crossed his arms, not wanting to discuss more.

"I can't say that I wasn't expecting this. I won't keep you from these plans of yours then. Clearly, you are devastated by this unfortunate timing of events."

"Heartbroken, really."

"You know, you're free to come to me with any other concerns you have." Holt's voice became heavy with a seriousness that Jake was unfamiliar with. It momentarily crossed Jake's mind that maybe, just maybe, Holt knew what was going on. But then again, when wasn't he so serious about anything?

Jake shrugged. "I think I'm good going solo right now, but thanks anyway."

He walked away through the stairs, without giving Holt a chance to say goodbye.

Out of all the kids in the school, Holt had to be annoying him. He just had to keep badgering for him to improve, to become a "better version" of himself. It wasn't like any of his old schools cared about his grades. He doesn't understand why Holt even bothers with him. He never asked to be saved. The principal should have known by now that he was a lost cause with school, especially with math.

Jake was shaken out of his thoughts by a gentle bump against his shoulder. Gina, Charles, Rosa, and Amy had just left the school as well and joined Jake on the way down the stairs.

"You doing all right there, little bear?" Gina asked. "You were making some funky faces to yourself just now."

"Yeah. I was just dealing with 'Principal' Holt." Jake brushed off. "He was just telling me what to do like he always does. 'Jake, do your homework.' 'Jake, don't run in the halls.' 'Jake, stop spitting paper balls in your teachers' hair.' "

Jake scrunched up his right eye and waved his finger in a nonsensical fashion. He parroted his principal's previous words in a mocking, low pitch voice.

"Ew."

"Ever since he was made principal of the school, he's been on me like a bloodhound. It's so, ugh!"

"Holt wouldn't be a good principal if he didn't care about his students, Jake." Amy argued. Jake opened his mouth to argue once more, but decided against it. The thought was laughable. A school principal, especially Holt, couldn't possibly care for a "screwup" like him.

Once the kids reached the bottom of the stairs, The Vulture's sportscar appeared in full view. While everyone approached the car, Jake stopped and turned to his left, watching the small number of cars passing him by.

Amy tilted her head in confusion. "Wait, you're not coming with us?"

"Someone's coming to pick me up. Or not. Depends on if he's busy today." Jake said distractedly. He was preoccupied with watching the traffic. He was bouncing on the balls of his heels now, jittering with excitement.

"I don't think it's safe for you to stay out in public by yourself." Amy said, her arms crossed.

"Come on, Amy. I'm thirteen. I'm pretty sure I can handle myself."

The sportscar's horn beeped once.

"He does this every Friday. I just roll with it." Rosa shrugged.

The sportscar beeped once more, lasting a few more seconds than necessary.

"I really hate that guy." Jake gritted out. Amy frowned, unhappy to see Jake so upset.

"Well I don't necessarily agree with this but…get back safely." Amy said, resigned. "And don't worry. The Vulture will get his comeuppance one day. I'm sure of it." She patted Jake's shoulder and beamed at him before heading to the car.

"His wh-? It's like she's begging to be laughed at." Gina said to Rosa.

 ** _BEEP!_**

"Ugh! That's it. I'm going to straighten this douchebag out right now." Rosa stomped off to the sportscar. Gina and Charles waved Jake goodbye and joined Amy and Rosa in the car. Jake waved in return as the car sped off the moment Gina and Charles slid inside. He then noticed the rusty green bench by the stairs. It was rotting and looked like it could collapse any second. Nevertheless Jake settled himself and tossed his backpack on the other side of the bench — a familiar process to no one but him.

His fingers fiddled against each other from slightly chilled wind. He swung his legs one by one as he looked upwards towards the sky. Remnants of clouds and jet streams stretched across the blue sky. Finally, he looked down on his pin. It glimmered like a shiny penny from the sunlight. Despite the cold weather, Jake smiled.

"I have a good feeling about today."

He continued to watch the cars and buses pass by. All the other school kids walked home or got picked up by their parents or relatives. The hopeful smile never left his face. Yet he couldn't help but feel the slight pang of hurt every time he saw a kid walk pass him with their mom or dad.

So he sat there and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Soon, the sky swirled into a blend of orange, blue, and violet. The streetlights were flickering on and the temperature began to dip slightly. Jake looked towards his wristwatch.

 **6:24 p.m.**

He looked up to the street, frowning in disappointment. The once busy traffic was now receding with only a few cars passing by every so often. It was time to go back. Jake reached over for his backpack and reluctantly stood on top of the pavement. One by one his feet carried him to the bus stop a few blocks away. He walked slowly, just in case, but nothing happened. He expected this to happen, but it didn't stop him from hoping.

But it was okay, because he made a promise to him. His dad was going to come back for him.

He has to.


End file.
